The invention relates to new polyglycidyl ethers and their manufacture and use for epoxide resin systems.
Mixtures which contain polyglycidyl ethers of diphenols and curing agents, and which can be cured like thermosetting resins, are known and are also described as epoxide resin systems. The heat resistance, mechanical properties and chemical resistance of the thermosetting resins obtainable from such systems by thermally and/or catalytically initiated crosslinking have to meet high and indeed rising standards. The problem of combining maximum heat distortion point, say measured with the aid of the socalled Martens temperature, with good mechanical properties has, however, not been solved completely satisfactorily in the case of such thermosetting resins, in spite of intensive research effort.
Thus, for example, the best heat distortion points achieved with the previously known optimum epoxide resin systems, such as cycloaliphatic epoxide resin/hexahydrophthalic anhydride, bisphenol-epoxide resin/pyromellitic anhydride, novolac-epoxide resin/diaminodiphenylsulphone or novalac-epoxide resin/diaminodiphenylmethane, are of the order of magnitude of 150.degree. - 185.degree.C. For many fields of use of such thermosetting resins, heat distortion points of 200.degree.C and above would be very desirable but in previous experiments aimed in this direction such heat distortion points were only achievable, if at all, at the expense of other important properties, especially impact strength, or flexural strength as a measure of brittleness.